Kentwood Real Estate was recently recognized by Realtor Magazine, the official publication of the National Association of Realtors, as the number one real estate brokerage in the country for the highest closed sales production per Broker Associate on an annual basis!

Pam O’Connor says she’s a strong believer in the power of local branding. Independent brokerages and franchisees with deep roots in their markets have a significant advantage over national companies that don’t have a recognized local brand.

“National brands are less meaningful than they used to be because of the Internet. Consumers may have a harder time, for example, finding a branch in their neighborhood because they have to drill down so far when searching the company Web site,” she says. “What makes a difference is having skin in the game. With local ownership, it’s their money and their deals and these businesses tend to do better.”